The ability to have an always-on wireless internet connection has been one of the great promises of wireless LAN (WiFi) and advanced cellular (3 G) technologies. Although fundamentally competing technologies, the ubiquity of the coverage promised by both, along with the broadband-like data rates possible, has resulted in broadband wireline-like functionality for wireless devices, but with the additional possibility of having the devices be untethered from any single location. This promise has been largely fulfilled for both laptop computers, where WiFi has been embedded into nearly all devices, and in cellular phones, where the 3 G capability of modems has led to a whole category of “smart phones”, enabling enterprise software client capability (email, web browsing) and even media services (streaming video, for example). Although both the laptop PC and cellular phone industries are large, growth has moderated due to saturation in the market. As a result, both the WiFi network and cellular operators are looking for new types of products to not only make use of the infrastructures already built, but also for a compelling use case for next generation wireless technologies (WiMAX and LTE, respectively).
A new product category conceived is the mobile internet device (MID). Although a MID can take many form-factors, the defining characteristic is to offer a PC-like internet experience on a wireless device. The trend with the MID is to increase the computational and user input/output (I/O) functionality to offer PC capability in a portable wireless device. A MID offers many features to the consumer in a single device, including a web browser, email client, media player and even productivity software or other third-party applications. Technically, with the requirement of offering multiple features in a single device, this demands a high-level operating system and user interface, with nearly all the complexities to the end user that a PC brings. The complexity of these devices is derived from the multiple features it is trying to offer; a device that has both web browser and camera functionality, for example, will not be as intuitive to use as a stand-alone digital still camera. The complexity inherent in the multi-functional role of a MID may prevent it from being a truly successful product category.
An alternate approach to creating new products for next generation wireless networks is to add wireless capability to existing product categories. This differs conceptually in trying to create a new product category that consolidates many existing products (q.v., a MID). The largest benefit of using an existing product category is that the market has already determined a need for the product, and it has been optimized in terms of functionality for its task. The addition of wireless capability to the product will now enable it to have an always-on internet connection. This will allow it to send and receive data geared towards whatever the product's functionality is. For example, by adding wireless capability to a camera, the user can now automatically upload pictures to an internet photo-sharing site, instead of having to first download the pictures to a PC. This internet-enabled feature, a great new use of the camera in a cell phone, can now be brought over to the dedicated platform for which its functionality has been most optimized for in terms of features and ease-of-use (i.e., the digital still camera). There are some barriers, however, that have prevented this adding of wireless capability to existing products that needs to be explored.
There have been three major barriers that prevented wireless capability from being added to an existing product line. First, the cost and system complication of adding wireless capability was very high. Prior to maturing, the wireless hardware would have been a significant cost addition, and it required a high level of technical expertise to integrate. Now, both WiFi and 3 G hardware modules have become commoditized, and cost and system integration is no longer a major barrier. Next, again due to the complexity of wireless systems and in the reduction of network bandwidth from voice services, the network carriers have been very reluctant to support non-phone devices on their network. However, with the significant increases in network capacity offered by WiMAX and 3 G/LTE and a mature phone and PC market, network operators have been much more willing to certify non-traditional devices. Finally, the addition of the wireless function must not add any additional complexity to the product. The reason is straightforward; the consumer has already been conditioned to a level of complexity for the given product category. Any obvious increase in user complexity due to the wireless feature will result in either the consumer not using the wireless functionality, or it would draw complaints to the manufacturer. The wireless functionality must be made invisible to the user. Further, many existing products operate independently and do not have direct interaction with a user (such as any monitoring device). It is this desire to make the wireless functionality autonomous and invisible to the end user that is the basis of the invention.